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Hodges lab sheds new light on mechanisms of gene regulatory divergence
Differences between species are often attributed to sequence (cis) variation, but Emily Hodges (Biochemistry), Tyler Hansen, a graduate student in the Hodges lab, and a colleague at the University of California, San Francisco, report a substantial role for cell environment (trans) differences in driving gene regulatory divergence between species. This discovery has implications for the fields of gene regulation, human population genetics, and primate evolution.
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New structures offer insight into how a bacterial motor powers a key infectious process
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Vanderbilt scientist collaborates with Cajal Institute in Spain
An international research collaboration between Vanderbilt University and the Madrid-based Cajal Institute, headed by Kari Hoffman (Vanderbilt Brain Institute), led to the development of AI models that detect and analyze hippocampal ripples, which are considered biomarkers of memory.
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Cortez wins Protein Society award for contributions to basic protein science
David Cortez, the Richard N. Armstrong Ph.D. Professor of Innovation in Biochemistry and chair of biochemistry, won The Hans Neurath Award, a 2024 Protein Society award, for recent contributions of exceptional merit to basic protein research.
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Monteggia receives distinguished alumni award
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts & Sciences recently named Lisa Monteggia (Pharmacology) a 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award Winner for her contributions to neuroscience.
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Jones recieves excellence award
This year’s Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award was awarded to Carrie Jones (Pharmacology) for her work understanding schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and addiction and her willingness to support students in her lab. The award was presented at the 2024 Spring Faculty Assembly.
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Faculty earn Academic Enterprise Awards
The Vanderbilt University School of Medicine had its annual spring faculty meeting and presented 12 faculty members with 2024 Academic Enterprise Awards, including four who are associated with Basic Sciences or the Department of Pathology and Immunology:
- Maria Hadjifrangiskou (PMI) received the Jacek Hawiger Award for Teaching Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows in the Classroom, Lecture or Small Group Setting
- Angela Jefferson (Vanderbilt Brain Institute) received the Elaine Sanders-Bush Award for Mentoring Graduate and/or Medical Students in the Research Setting
- Ian Macara (Cell and Developmental Biology) received the John H. Exton Award for Research Leading to Innovative Biological Concepts
- Richard Peek Jr. (PMI) received the Charles R. Park Award for Basic Research Revealing Insights into Physiology and Pathophysiology
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Hinton earns multiple accolades
Antentor Hinton Jr. earned the first-ever PEEPS award. The Positive Execution of Excellence in Physiological Sciences award is granted by Black in Physiology.
In addition, two of Hinton's papers were in the top 10 most-cited articles in Advanced Biology between Jan. 1, 2022, and Dec. 31, 2023:
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Newly minted graduates
The following graduates successfully defended their dissertations:
- Cancer Biology: Alexander Silver, Ph.D
- Molecular Pathology and Immunology: Elizabeth Wescott, Ph.D.
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Vanderbilt establishes Linda Sealy Emerging Scholar Travel Award
Named for Associate Professor Emerita Linda Sealy (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics), also the former associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion of Basic Sciences, the new Linda Sealy Emerging Scholar Travel Award is intended to enhance the STEM talent pipeline by promoting a more inclusive environment that supports trainees from diverse backgrounds.
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Blind named cancer center DEI director
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Basic science research featured at 2024 Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Day
On April 10, the Vanderbilt Memory and Alzheimer’s Center hosted its fifth Annual Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Day, which included faculty presentations, data blitzes, a keynote presentation, and a poster reception with more than 45 posters. “Big data” was the theme of this year’s VMAC event, but any research touching on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia was welcome.
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Vanderbilt students explore STEM policy in Washington, D.C
Three Vanderbilt graduate students, Laurel Bellocchio, Audrey Arner and Logan Northcutt, traveled to Washington, D.C. for the Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The workshop provides an opportunity for students from around the country to learn from experts about the role of science in policymaking and the federal policy-making process. The Vanderbilt Office of Federal Relations has been sponsoring graduate students to participate in the AAAS CASE workshop for a decade.
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Vanderbilt University launches sustainable lab program
The new Vanderbilt Sustainable Labs program, an initiative from Environmental Health, Safety and Sustainability in the Division of Administration, launched in collaboration with the Green Team (Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics Training Program), provides guidance and a voluntary certification designation for laboratory members to reduce the environmental impact of their lab activities.
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The Tennessean: As a doctor, I want patients, especially elderly ones, to have access to non-opioid drugs
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May 3: Vanderbilt/Bruker Center of Excellence open house
Symposium and open house celebrating the new Vanderbilt/Bruker Center of Excellence in the Mass Spectrometry Research Center. Boxed lunches will be served.
1220 MRB III, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., register online.
May 7: Monthly Cell Imaging Shared Resource Office Hours
Ask CISR staff anything: imaging, analysis, scheduling, sample preparation, etc.
704 Light Hall and T-2216 MCN, 9:00 a.m.
May 16: Vanderbilt Center for Stem Cell Biology Symposium
Annual symposium. This year's theme is “Emerging Technologies for Stem Cell Biology.”
Learn more and register online.
May 22 and June 26: VU Social, Behavioral, and Educational Research Institutional Review Board outreach session
The IRB Faculty Advisory Committee is launching monthly outreach sessions to provide updates and answer questions about the development of the VU IRB.
10:00–11:00 a.m., Zoom and meeting info available online.
May 22: Tri-Institutional Seminar Series
Dr. AZA Stephen Allsop, assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, will give a his talk, “Music Therapeutics for Social Connection, Synchrony, and Mental Health”.
12:00 p.m., Cal Turner Auditorium at Meharry Medical College or Zoom (meeting link).
May 30: Vanderbilt–Warwick Mechanobiology Symposium
A collaboration between the Vanderbilt Center on Mechanobiology and the Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology at the University of Warwick in the UK, the event will showcase mechanobiology research across scales, from single molecules to tissues.
8:30 a.m., Engineering and Science Building, learn more or register online.
July 18: Life Science Showcase
The industry collaborations division of OVPRI and CTTC is hosting the 2024 Vanderbilt University Life Science Showcase, centered on the theme “Advancing Innovation in Infectious Diseases.”
1:00 p.m., Student Life Center, register online.
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- The National Institutes of Health are in the process of overhauling their grant review criteria. Although the actual grant application process will remain mostly the same, they are switching to new forms. Read more about the Simplified Review Framework.
- The Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization has introduced a new
tool that makes it easy for faculty to bring forward innovative ideas that have the
potential for patenting and commercialization. The recently introduced online
Concept Submission Form eases the initial steps for submitting innovative ideas to CTTC.
- BioRender Premium access was renewed for Basic Sciences through Sept. 2025. All of Basic Sciences has can log in through our portal. If you can't log in, submit your VUNetID for access here. Questions? Email Lorena Infante Lara.
- The Center for Structural Biology Green Team promotes collaboration for a green-forward Vanderbilt and for environmentally conscious systems in biomedical research labs. Fill out their interest form to join.
- Be part of history! Submit a digital note about your aspirations for Vanderbilt’s future for the university’s time capsule.
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NIH Office of Strategic Coordination, Common Fund opportunities:
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School of Medicine Basic Sciences Alum Q&A: Jennifer Zachry
We sat down with Jennifer Zachry, Ph.D.’23, a graduate of the Department of Pharmacology who is now the director of business development at Orion Therapeutics, to discuss her experience at in Basic Sciences and how it played a role in her successful career.
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Amazing eclipse pics!
Besides capturing amazing images at the cellular level, Matt Tyska’s (Cell and Developmental Biology) passion for outdoor and out-of-this-world photography is on display in the following solar eclipse photos taken April 8 at the National Wildlife Refuge in Holla Bend, Arkansas. He used a Sony A7R5 (61 megapixel) camera set at 600 mm, 1/1000, ISO1000, f6.3.
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Keep up with biomedical science seminars! To receive weekly email notices about upcoming seminars focused on the biomedical sciences, please email Katherine Carter. To submit your event for the weekly email, send it to the “bioseminar” email address.
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Banner background courtesy of Kianna Robinson.
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Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences
MRB III U-1200
465 21st Avenue South
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Phone: (615) 322-0907 | basicsciences@vanderbilt.edu
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